Japan’s nursing-care robots for elderly…again

Just make damn sure that Bear-bot is unplugged before the grandkids come over to visit.

Abe Cabinet moving toward promoting Nursing robots for elderly halojepang.com (Kyodo Press) 12 June 2013
…Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has allocated 2.39 billion yen in the budget for fiscal 2013 to help develop nursing care robots and spread their use. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry chose last month 24 companies that will receive subsidies covering half to two-thirds of the cost of developing what it calls “nursing care robot equipment.”More...

Sadly, these nursing care robots of the RIKEN Institute have been around forever. RIBA-II, the care-giving Teddy Bear (3Yen.com / 2011-08-03) shown above has been in development for a long time without any the bear-bots going into practical use in nursing homes and hospitals.

The 3Yen first reported years ago about the predecessor of the RIBA, the RI-MAN robot in: Stroke my soft machine↓ (3Yen / 2006-03-01)

A “Suicide Bear”? Japanese Invention Lets You Choose Suffocation, Asphyxia or Lethal InjectionCatholic Channel — Seasons of Grace | May 6, 2015
How would you prefer to die: By lethal injection? suffocation? helium asphyxia?
Japanese engineers are trying to give you a choice. A research team has developed “SeppuKuma” (translation: “Suicide Bear”), an assisted suicide support robot which smiles like an innocent cartoon character while strangling, hugging or kissing a patient until he or she is dead.More….

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Japan Engineers Design Robotic Bear to aid in Assisted Suicide IFLScience | 5 February 2015
…JSDD-Orient Industry Collaboration Center for Human-Interactive Robotics Research in the Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo has designed an assisted suicide support robot with the face of an innocent, loveable cartoon-like bear to aid patients in self-euthanasia named SeppuKuma.
SeppuKuma, which loosely translates to “Suicide Bear” has robotic arms that are able to carry up to 80kg of weight, hands that are powerful enough to crush human bone, and roller legs that can retract or extend from a base as necessary when bending to pick someone up out of bed or when maneuvering through tight spaces like doorways.
The robot weighs 140kg and it is powered by specially designed software and advanced actuators (a type of motor that controls mechanisms). SeppuKuma also offers 23 very different methods one can choose to end their life, including Everlasting Sleep (lethal injection), Pillow Kisses (suffocation), Peaceful Breath (helium asphyxia) and Sleepy time Hug which is where the robotic bear strangles its partner until their pulse stops for 15 minutes. All of these attributes enable the SeppuKuma to give it’s patient the power to choose how they get to end their own life.More….